


Across the Hall

by LittleHoneyBees



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, American History Teacher Mccree, Bottom Hanzo Shimada, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Geometry Teacher Hanzo, Implied Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler - Freeform, Implied Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reaper | Gabriel Reyes - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Top Jesse McCree, i guess?, implied Roadrat - Freeform, implied tracer/emily, mentioned relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-13 17:18:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12988743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleHoneyBees/pseuds/LittleHoneyBees
Summary: Jesse McCree has taught high school American history for seven years now. Most every year is the same, but he's not complaining. Teaching is his passion, and every new year fills him with excitement.As the school year starts, Jesse finds himself absolutely smitten by the newly-hired geometry teacher across the hall. However, Hanzo Shimada is just as tightly-strung as he is pretty.(Temporary hiatus, which I am very sorry for.)





	1. Mr. McCree

**Author's Note:**

> As this week is finals week and I should be studying, I've decided to write my first fic here on AO3.  
> Excuse such a short first chapter! They will get longer.
> 
> I am always open for critique. I look forward to continuing this story, seeing your suggestions, and reading your comments!  
> Also, I am taking requests, so don't be shy!

As the first school bell of the new year rang, the shrill sound followed by a chorus of teenagers groaning, Jesse McCree could hardly contain his excitement. Having spent the summer waiting tables at some honky-tonk bar, returning to his classroom and being greeted by the tired faces of students new and old caused his heart to swell in delight. Having been a teacher for seven years now, he felt the same joy today as he had when he had first started. 

Jesse arose from his desk, striding over to the windows and drawing the blinds. More groans followed as he did so, and students covered their faces and put their heads on their desks as the sun assaulted their eyes. Jesse chuckled, basking in the sunshine as it poured into his classroom. He returned to the head of the room and spoke in a voice far too booming for eight am. 

“Good mornin’, Class! The name’s Mr. McCree. So long as you’re in the right room, I’ll be teaching you the history of the USA. This course examines history from the American revolution to the present, so we’ve got a lot to cover this year,” He paused, smile returning, “But that can wait till tomorrow. I know we’re all tired and missin’ our summer freedom. So, I’m gonna take role, then we’re gonna spend the rest of the class getting to know each other.” 

Many students sighed in relief at the lack of schoolwork they would have to do this period, and Jesse mentally fist-bumped himself. He wasn’t the school-wide favorite for nothing. He tried to go as easy on the students as he could without losing their attention or respect, and attempted to make learning about boring old white guys as interesting as possible. 

He began to take role, plugging the names of new students into his brain, and warmly welcoming back those he had taught before. Senior students Hana Song and Lúcio Correia dos Santos sat beside one another whispering excitedly, the pair as inseparable now as they were three years ago in Jesse’s American literature class. They had been fantastic, hardworking students when they were not engulfed in their electronics. Jesse had never confiscated more devices in his life than he had with these two. However, he was quite the pushover, and always gave them right back with a lighthearted warning. 

While Jesse was happy to see a few familiar names on his role sheet, there were two that never failed to hurt his heart. Repeating this class yet again was Jamison Fawkes, a second-time senior with an explosive demeanor and a deep-seated hatred for authority. The stick thin boy sat in the corner of the room with his feet, both real and prosthetic, upon the desk. Despite his relaxed posture, Jamie’s eyes flitted throughout the room in discomfort, as he was not joined by his usual companion, Mako Rutledge. The calmer of the two, Mako teetered dangerously on the line of being too old for high school. If he could not finish this year, he would not be allowed to return the next. Despite this, his hulking figure was nowhere to be seen. 

When Jamison’s name was called, he looked to Jesse with a toothy smile, an uncomfortably loud laugh bubbling from between his lips. 

“Bet your real happy to see my mug again, teach!” Jamison spoke, his Australian accent deeply lacing each word. 

Jesse nodded, “Its always a pleasure to see a former student, Jamie.” He said sincerely. The boy looked a bit surprised at that, and scoffed.

Jesse continued, skipping to the R’s on his role sheet.

“Speaking of former students, I see Mako’s supposed to be in this class. You seen him?” he asked, looking to the empty seat beside Jamison. 

The boy in question shrugged, eyebrows drawn together in frustration, “Hell if I know. He said he’d be here on time, that cunt. Probably won’t even show up.”

Jesse ignored the curse word and simply hummed in answer, going back to roll call. He welcomed transfer student Genji Shimada, and complimented his wild green locks. The student lit up with joy, thanking Jesse and complementing his gold-tipped cowboy boots in return.

Roll call was wrapped up with Tekhartha Zenyatta, who gazed out of the classroom window with a serene expression. When his name was called, he very quietly signaled his attendance by raising his hand and giving Jesse a small smile, before returning to his thoughts. While Jesse could see this becoming a distraction in the future, he decided he’d touch on it later. The kid could recollect all he wanted today.

Jesse spent the rest of the class both introducing himself and having the students do the same. They played ice breaker games and shared fun facts about themselves, from their pet’s names to their biggest fears. Jesse felt warm inside. He loved nothing more than being an educator, and was prepared to dedicate his all to making sure every student in this class succeeded. 

The periods flew by, and new students shuffled in and out of his classroom. He learned name after name, and gave the same introduction spiel over and over. The morning had ebbed, and each class grew rowdier than the previous. Not that Jesse minded— this wasn't his first rodeo, so to speak. So, while his first day giddiness showed no sign of faltering, his tired body begged for caffeine. As his fourth period students walked to the cafeteria for lunch, Jesse made his way to the teachers lounge, where he planned to greet his friends and drink his entire body weight in coffee.


	2. Lunch Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Jesse thinks the coffee will be the best part of his lunch break, he has a surprise coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wouldn't post again until the end of finals week, but I have no self control. Once again, excuse the length of this chapter. The third will be much longer.

The teacher’s lounge was just as hectic as the cafeteria—given the school’s small size, the faculty had grown quite close throughout the years. Teachers greeted each other with wide smiles and tight hugs, discussing their summer adventures and plans for the new year. 

When Jesse entered said lounge, he was nearly tackled to the floor with affection. His name was shouted excitedly, and he was pulled throughout the room, enveloped in one pair of arms after the next: he was first hugged by Mei, then Winston, then Angela, then Satya, then Reinhardt, then Zarya. The large gym teacher lifted him off the ground in a crushing embrace, his back cracking along the way, to which everyone winced. She apologized and put him down, but Jesse shook his head and smiled.

“It ain’t no problem, honey, no need to apologize. My old back probably needed it!” He reassured, stretching his arms above his head and groaning quietly at the pop that followed. 

Gabriel Reyes, vice principal and longtime companion of Jesse’s, nodded at him from across the room, a small smile gracing his gruff features. Principal Jack Morrison followed suit, tilting his coffee cup in recognition. 

“Good to see you, Jess! I hope the summer treated you well. Grab some coffee and get ready for another great year.” He greeted, before taking a large gulp of his beverage and returning immediately to what looked to be a very intense conversation with Gabe. 

Jesse made his way to the coffee maker, where a half full pot sat warm and waiting. He poured a cup and added four sugars, repressing a moan as the sweet caffeine filled his mouth. He chugged the coffee quicker than what was probably safe given its temperature, and went in for seconds.

He reached for the pot just as someone else did, their hands brushing over one another’s. His eyes traveled from the hand upward: trailing from a sculpted arm to a strong shoulder, taking in a delectable neck before landing on a face that left Jesse floored. 

The man before him could only be described as enchanting. He dressed impeccably, a dark blue blazer and fitted pants hugging his figure in all the right places. His body was lean and sensual, his eyes were dark and piercing, and his long black hair looked sleek and soft. Jesse wanted to touch it. He wanted to feel it with his own hands, remove it from its ponytail and twine it between his fingers—

The man pulled away and cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at Jesse.

“If you want the last cup, you can have it.” He spoke in a deep voice coated in a thick Japanese accent. 

Jesse was brought back to the present at the beautiful sound, and realized just how creepy he must look. He removed his hand quickly, fumbling about and trying to form words.

“N-No! I already had some, its all yours!” He stammered, trying his best to compose himself. They had just touched hands, and here he was acting like a damn fool. He was usually much smoother than this.

The man shook his head, pouring the cup and pushing it across the counter to Jesse.

“I insist, take it. I’m on my fourth cup of the day. I should probably hold off on another.”

Jesse laughed and thanked him for the coffee. He added his four sugars and turned back towards the man, reaching his hand out and trying to salvage what little bit of control over his tongue he had left.

“Nice to meet you, the name’s Jesse McCree. I teach American history. I’ve never seen you ‘round here before,” He paused, eyes meeting Hanzo’s, “Believe me, I wouldn’t forget that face.”

Heat rose in the other’s cheeks, and the man visibly tensed in discomfort. Shit. Jesse shouldn’t have added that last part. 

“Stupid tongue,” he thought, cursing the organ for always adding things that Jesse’s brain hadn’t agreed to. 

The man placed his hand in Jesse’s, giving a firm handshake despite the awkward air between them.

“Hanzo Shimada. I was hired to teach Geometry, as the number of students enrolled is becoming more than Mrs. Vaswani can handle on her own. It is nice to meet you, Mr. McCree.” He spoke quickly before pulling his hand away.

“You could just call me Jesse, if you’d like.” He said, trying his best to make Hanzo more comfortable.

Hanzo smiled politely, “I will keep that in mind.”

Lunch period passed far too quickly after that. The two had shared no other words, as Jesse was hauled into a conversation between Mei and Jack on the cons of standardized testing. By the time it was over, Hanzo had already retreated to his classroom. 

Which, to Jesse’s delight, was right across the hall from his own.


	3. Smoke Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse needs a cigarette.

Dolly whimpered and barked from her place at the foot of Jesse’s bed, rousing the man from what little sleep he had managed to get after a long, coffee-fueled night of grading papers. He cracked open an eye, glaring at the alarm clock on his nightstand. Fifteen minutes remained before it would sound. He planned to savor each second, if his dog would allow it. 

However, Dolly would do no such thing. She continued on, louder and louder. 

Jesse bunched his pillow up around his ears as her whines grew in volume, and he groaned weakly in protest.

“C’mon, girl, Papa’s tired. I’ll be up to feed ya’ in just a minute.” He begged.

Dolly ignored her owner’s pleas, and instead jumped onto the bed, kneading her large paws into the mattress and nuzzling her face into Jesse’s bare chest. He nudged at her giant furry body softly. 

“Down, girl.” He ordered with what little force he could muster. 

Her kneads and whines persisted.

Jesse could have cried.  
He turned to the dog in annoyance. She, ignoring his scowl, licked lovingly at his face. He chuckled, petting behind her ears, and accepting defeat. He couldn’t deny her a thing. 

“Alright, ya’ spoiled little lady, breakfast time.”

He hefted his body up, stretched his arms toward the ceiling, and stared at the floor beneath him for quite some time before getting up and heading towards the kitchen. Dolly bounded passed him, barking happily the whole way. 

The first few weeks of the school year had passed quickly, and Jesse had fallen into his usual routine. He’d wake up, feed Dolly, shower, drink a cup (or three) of coffee, scarf down a plateful of toast, and drive twenty minutes to work. 

His students were doing wonderfully so far, give or take. Mako had shown up during the second week of school, plopping down in the seat beside Jamison with quiet indifference and no explanation, as if he’d been there the whole time. Jamie had shrieked and wrapped his arms around the larger boy in excitement, before releasing and smacking him in the chest. 

“You were supposed ta’ be here on the first day, hog! I’ve been texting you like crazy! Where have you been!?” He’d yelled, uncaring of their surroundings. Mako had simply grunted, motioning for the younger to sit down and hush. Jamie had done so, which Jesse was grateful for. The large boy had more control over Jamison’s volume than any of the teachers could ever hope to have.

Come lunchtime each day, Jesse’s tired body would beg for coffee yet again, and he would follow its pleas to the teacher’s lounge, where he’d hoped to run into Hanzo again. Upon their first meeting, Jesse found himself yearning to know more about the man. 

However, much to Jesse’s dismay, Hanzo had not returned to the lounge since the first day. The man rarely ventured outside of his classroom at all. While the other teachers spent the majority of their lunches together, Hanzo ate alone, hunched over the large pile of papers upon his desk. He was sometimes joined by his younger brother, Genji, but as the year progressed and the teen grew closer to his classmates, those days lessened. 

He would wave to the other man as he walked to lunch, and Hanzo would give him a small smile and wave back. Jesse wanted so badly to ask if he could join him in his classroom, but did not want to disturb Hanzo’s grading or make him uncomfortable, as he had during their first meeting. So, despite his longing, the two had not shared another word. 

They’d spoken only in glances.

Towards the end of each day, Jesse had a free period. While he tried to get as much done during this time as he could, he often found himself distracted. As their classrooms paralleled one another, he couldn’t help but admire Hanzo as he taught. The man would stand firmly and unmoving at the front of the room, his chin held high and powerful, his hands behind his back. He was statuesque. In everything Hanzo did, he exuded control and professionalism. Jesse wondered what he looked like under all those layers. Metaphorically speaking, of course. When Hanzo lectured in that deep voice, concise and unwavering, Jesse wondered what his laugh sounded like. He was sure it would be beautiful. 

Hanzo caught Jesse staring more often than he’d like to admit.

The first time, Hanzo had looked surprised. He’d blushed and fumbled on his words just slightly, before returning to his lecture. Now, when his dark eyes pierced into Jesse’s own from across the hall, he would raise an eyebrow, amused, and continue speaking as if nothing had happened. Jesse would always scramble to look busy, or close his door entirely, though he knew it was in vain. Hanzo had caught onto this little pattern, and probably thought he was an absolute creep. 

 

When the final bell rang, should there be no required meetings, Jesse would head home. He’d either grab takeout on the way back to his place, or heat something up for dinner. Despite his love of cooking, he never had much time to do so. He would instead eat quickly over a stack of papers, grading and planning until the sun went down. He would then retire to the couch, where he and Dolly would watch shitty rom-coms until his eyes grew heavy.  
It wasn’t the most exciting of routines, but so long as he was teaching, Jesse was happy.

Though, some days were harder than others, and this day edged on being one of the worst yet.

His muscles ached from lack of sleep, his coffee machine had refused to work, and he’d been stuck in heavy traffic for almost an hour. He’d called the school deliriously, assuring them he would be there as quickly as possible. Upon Jesse’s late arrival, the students were extremely rowdy, yelling and laughing and paying zero attention to his attempted lecture. He was not fond of raising his voice, but had done so for the sake of his own sanity. The students had looked to him baffled, before returning to their seats and quieting down. 

However, just as most every day, each class grew wilder than the last.

Come midday, Jesse wanted nothing more than to crawl under his desk and nap. As he couldn’t do that, he decided to settle for a cigarette to calm his nerves. He’d been trying to quit the nasty habit for nearly a year now, but couldn’t seem to push through the bad days without a smoke break.  
As his students walked to the cafeteria, Jesse made a beeline for the exit. 

The school was strictly against the usage of tobacco on any part of campus, parking lot included. So, when Jesse needed to smoke, he would drive to the small grocery store across from the school. He would sit in his truck with music playing softly, smoking his Marlboro Reds, and watching the cars pass until his hands stopped shaking. 

He was almost to his truck, almost to his moment of peace, when he noticed smoke billowing out of the window of an unfamiliar black sportscar. He sighed heavily through his nose. As hypocritic as this moment was, duty called. He couldn’t let a student smoke on campus. Every part of him wanted to ignore it and keep on walking, but he knew that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. He’d at least go easy on them, and hopefully avoid any kind of argument. 

He walked towards the car, cleared his throat, and knocked softly at the tinted window, which had been cracked just enough to let the smoke waft through. Music played loudly, something slow and wordless. The melody drifted through the air just as smoothly as the smoke, and the person inside made no attempt at moving. Concluding that they had not heard him over the tune, Jesse knocked just a bit harder, eyebrows furrowing in slight annoyance.

The window began to roll down, and Jesse felt his breath catch in his throat.

“H-Hanzo!” He stuttered. 

The man sat before him with a large vape in hand, the straw-like tip of it wrapped between his full lips. He pulled away and released the button on top, turning and exhaling throughout the space of his car as to not hit Jesse with a face full of vanilla-scented smoke. He lowered the volume of the music. 

“Hello, Mr. McCree,” Hanzo rasped, nodding to the man before him with a slightly alarmed expression, “Is there something you wanted?”

Jesse fumbled to speak, always so blank for words when face to face with this absolute vision. 

“I-I, well, um, ya’ can’t do that here. I’m sorry. Morrison and Reyes are pretty strict about smoking and, uh, vaping on school grounds. Faculty included.” He managed, blush rising to his cheeks. He felt like such a buzzkill. 

Hanzo nodded in understanding, rushing to tuck the vape into the glove box, “I apologize. I did not know the rules included the parking lot. It will not happen again.”

“No need to apologize, darlin’, I-I didn’t know at first either,” Jesse reassured, smiling in an attempt to ease the tension, “They should probably put some kinda’ sign up.”

Hanzo nodded, “Yes, that would be a good idea.”

They continued to nod awkwardly in agreement, before falling into an even more awkward silence. Hanzo looked to Jesse in confusion, probably wondering why the man continued to stand there. Jesse searched for something else to say, wanting to hold onto the brief conversation. 

Before he could speak, Hanzo did so. A small smile came to his lips as he joked, “I’m not in trouble, am I?” 

Surprised at the man’s teasing, heat rose to Jesse’s cheeks. He willed himself to play it cool.

“Nah, first-timers usually just get a warning. If I catch ya’ out here again, though, I’ll probably have ta’ give you detention.” He chuckled, delighting in the laugh that his answer caused to bubble from Hanzo’s lips. 

“I wouldn’t want that, especially not so early in the year.” The man replied, small giggles continuing to escape him. 

Jesse was right, just as he knew he would be. Hanzo’s laugh was fucking beautiful.

He wanted so badly to hear more of it. 

His hand twitched, and he was reminded why he came out here in the first place. Time was ticking, and he needed nicotine before he returned to class. 

Jesse spoke, “So, uh, just in case you weren’t finished up, there’s a grocery store across the street,” he motioned toward it, “That’s where I take my smoke breaks. Headed there now, actually. I usually just sit in my car; the workers don’t seem to mind much at all,” He smiled, “Just figured I’d let ya’ know, so you could avoid that detention and all.” 

Hanzo chuckled again before replying, “Thank you for the advice, Mr. McCree, I think I will do that,” He paused, looking to Jesse with a small smile, “You could join me, if you would like.”

Jesse’s heart skipped a beat. He nodded excitedly, quickly bounding towards the passenger side, “I would love to.”

 

They rode the short distance in silence, Jesse admiring the vehicle’s interior. It was sleek, clean, and dark, much like Hanzo himself. It smelled of both the thick vanilla smoke that had poured from between Hanzo’s lips moments ago, and the deep, rich cologne that clung to Hanzo’s body whenever he passed Jesse in the hall. It was intoxicating. 

Jesse was grateful they had taken Hanzo’s car. His own was old, clunky, and messy. It remained constantly filled to the brim with crumbs, wrappers, dog toys, and a plethora of other junk. He would get around to cleaning it one of these days.

Hanzo parked in the corner of the lot. He rolled down both front windows, before removing his vape from the glove box and taking a deep inhale. His eyes closed, his head tilted slightly back, exposing an elegant porcelain throat. Jesse was entranced, watching as smoke billowed from Hanzo’s mouth like a dragon. This man could make even the smallest of actions into an art form. 

Hanzo’s eyes reopened, and he looked to Jesse with the same expression that graced his features each time he caught the history teacher staring at him from across the hall. He pointedly raised an eyebrow before asking, “Do you need a lighter?”

Jesse realized he had made no move to smoke, which must have looked quite stupid on his end. He fumbled to remove the cigarettes and lighter from his pocket, shaking his head and showing Hanzo that he had indeed brought the necessities. The man looked away, continuing to vape with that same serene expression. 

Jesse tore his eyes away, placing a cigarette between his lips and looking out the window as he lit it. It sparked quickly, and he could have moaned as the first inhale swirled throughout his lungs. Fuck, he needed this. He exhaled, aiming the smoke out of the window and watching it float. Cars rushed by, and Jesse did his best to pay more attention to them than the gorgeous man beside him. 

Minutes crept by before either spoke. It was Hanzo who broke the silence, exhaling another large hit of smoke before saying, “Thank you again for the recommending this location, Mr. McCree. My students have been especially exhausting today. I really needed this.”

Jesse sighed deeply, the stress pouring off of him in waves now, “No problem at all, I know exactly how ya’ feel. Today has been absolute hell. I’ve been tryna’ quit smoking for a while now, but I couldn’t go another hour without a cigarette. Thanks for letting me ride over here with ya’.” 

Hanzo shook his head, “There is no need to thank me, we were going to the same place.”

Jesse smiled at that. “Well then, thank you for the company, Sugar,” He said with a wink. 

Hanzo’s cheeks flushed, and Jesse prayed to whatever god was listening that he had not pushed any boundaries with the endearment.

Much to his relief, it did not seem he had. Despite the blush, Hanzo smiled back at him. 

“T-thank you for yours as well. It is a welcomed change to how I normally spend my breaks.” The darker-haired man said timidly, chewing at his bottom lip. 

Jesse gathered his courage. 

“Well, if you’d be interested, I’d love to join you during lunch sometime. Maybe tomorrow? If you’re not too busy grading or anything, that is.” He offered, stomach twisting in knots that he couldn’t seem to untangle. This was a simple request, nothing to be this nervous about. He felt like a little boy with his very first crush. 

Hanzo visibly perked up at his offer, smiling a little smile so sweet that Jesse was left swooning. 

“I…. I would like that very much, Mr. McCree. Thank you.” Hanzo said quietly, looking to Jesse with sincerity in his dark eyes.

Jesse beamed, a warm feeling washing over his body and settling deep in his belly. 

The two spoke idly for the rest of their smoke break; discussing curriculum and improvements in test scores. While their topics were nothing special, Jesse reveled in the sound of Hanzo’s voice. He clung to each and every word.

He stole glances at Hanzo whenever he would look out of the window or close his eyes in relaxation; a few inky black strands of hair had fallen from Hanzo’s normally-pristine top knot and into his face, and Jesse’s fingers itched to tuck them behind his ear. 

Even more than he had this morning, when staring at his alarm clock in disdain—Jesse wished that he could freeze time. 

“We should probably head back now,” Hanzo said, pulling the other from his thoughts.

“Yeah, we probably should,” He replied with a deep sigh, “The kids’ll be back from lunch here soon.”

They drove the short distance in silence, Hanzo's music playing quietly. A million words sat on Jesse's tongue, begging to be released.

_God, you are stunning. Are you free after class? Wanna grab coffee sometime? ___

__He swallowed them down._ _

__They said their goodbyes in the parking lot, only to laugh when they remembered they were going the exact same way._ _

Jesse spent the rest of the day with a dopey smile on his face. Tomorrow could not come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK. Finals wrecked me this semester. I apologize for both the late update and my inability write a longer chapter. I've got a lot going on right now. I hope you are not too bored. Anyway; things start to progress next chapter, now that the boys are lunch buddies. And expect a little bit of romance the chapter after that. 
> 
> I am looking for a beta as well, so if you are interested, hit me up.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are enjoying it so far!  
> -Bee.


End file.
